28 Things for my 28th Birthday

August 29th is my birthday. WOOHOO! Have I mentioned that I LOVE birthdays? It is so fun to celebrate the life of someone on their birthday. Thankful that I married a husband who has learned to love birthdays as I do and celebrates mine to the fullest. I'm going to keep him!

Since it is my 28th birthday, I thought I'd write 28 things about myself. Hope it isn't too hard! :)

1. I have been married for just shy of 20 months and it gets better every day.

2. I love to bake especially cookies, cakes and cupcakes. I am baking some strawberry shortcake cupcakes for a very special little girl's birthday this weekend.

3. I have 1 half brother, 1 half sister, 3 step brothers, 1 step sister, 1 niece and three nephews on my side of the family. We also have two nephews on Matt's side of the family.

4. I love to sleep but rarely can sleep late anymore. Although, my goal for my birthday is to sleep LATE! We shall see how it goes.

5. I was a softball player for 13 years. I also thew the shot put and discus and managed the girl's basketball team.

6. I am a HUGE LSU fan. I went there for a semester but it was too big for me. But I still love my Tigers.

7. I have always considered myself to not be very crafty until the last year and now I LOVE IT! I'm even selling some of the crafts we have made in a show next month. Who would have thought?

8. I love to read. I used to read a lot more before I got married and then it tapered off but now I'm reading more again. My favorite author is Karen Kingsbury. My husband and I have also been reading through all of the Newberry Award winning books. That's been fun.

9. I love lists. I never used lists until I went to graduate school and then it became absolutely necessary because there is way too much to do to keep up with it in your head!

10. I love blogging. I started about 4 years ago and it has been so fun for me! Also, I love to read blogs. I didn't read many before the last 1.5 years but now it is how I unwind for the evening. Very fun!

11. I love to travel. I always have and I think it's because I grew up in a small town and we didn't go many places when I was younger. Now, I love it. Matt does too so that makes it even better.

12. Matt and I have been discussing our Christmas card design since July! EEEKK. We can't wait to get started on them.

13. Since I moved out of my mom's house in 2007, I have only lived in apartments. Matt and I hope to rent in October so I'm pretty excited about that.

14. I have a list in the back of my mind of certain items that I love but I'll never buy for myself. I keep them in mind in case someone ask me for a gift idea :)

15. I used to enjoy clothes shopping but now it's not important to me. Matt and I made a rule that if we buy a new clothing item, we must get rid of something we own. Right now, I love all that I have so I'm not going out to buy anything!

16. I am a speech language pathologist. I originally went into the field to work with children but I have worked with adults since I've been out of school and I love it. It is such a blast and these old people keep me cracking up every single day.

17. My favorite movies are Dirty Dancing, Pretty Woman and Steel Magnolias. I dare you to watch Steel Magnolias and not cry. GETS ME EVERY TIME!

18. I love to cook...especially for my husband. He will eat most anything so that makes experimenting easy to do when I'm in the mood for that.

19. I get subscriptions to several magazines from my mom each year. I enjoy them. Food Network Magazine, Guideposts, and a couple of others. I also got free subscriptions to a couple of magazines that I probably wouldn't pay for! :)

20. I have been a part of 7 churches in my lifetime: Kentwood First Baptist Church (childhood), Amite Church of Christ (teenage years), House on the Rock (college), North Monroe Baptist Church (graduate school), Church of the Highlands (internships), Gateway Baptist Church (Montgomery), Church of the Highlands (Montgomery) and now Restoration Church.

21. We have crossed 38 goals off of our 101 in 1001 list. It's been such a blast!

22. Hurricane Katrina hit on my 21st birthday and it's looking like Isaac may do the same.

23. I am missing my 10 year high school year reunion. I am so bummed about it but the date wasn't decided for certain until 2 weeks ago and it's 1 month away. Just can't swing that!

24. I love to watch TV but we don't have cable. We just can't justify the price of cable since we aren't home to watch TV much. Hulu fills the void ;-)

25.  My guilty pleasure show is RHOBH and the Mr. and I love to watch Law and Order: SVU, Criminal Minds an Person of Interest.

26. I love my parents. They did a good job with me :)

27. I can't wait to be a mom. It's a lifelong dream and I really feel like my greatest calling in life is to be a wife and mother. Somedays that makes it hard to go to work!! :)

28. I am looking forward to this next year a great deal. We will pay off student loans, maybe begin having children, fostering etc, and then on my next birthday, I'll celebrate my GOLDEN BIRTHDAY!

Well, that's it! Happy 28th Birthday to me!

Til then-
Did YOU Hear about the Morgans?

Mom-Cation 2012

Our visit with Mom was so nice! It did seem like the time flew by though. She got in Wednesday afternoon. Matt was still at work so I took her to eat at Cheddar's. This restaurant is so yummy. Check their website to see if there is one near you! That night we just kind of laid low. 

Thursday Morning we got up and got dressed and had an early lunch at Wade's here in Spartanburg. They are known for their Meat and Three lunches and everything is yummy. Mom loved it! I'll be shipping her some of their frozen items soon! Matt had to go to work so Mom and I took the rest of the day to shop. She wanted to buy me some things for my birthday and I was happy to oblige her! We went to Charming Charlie's, Dillard's, TJ Maxx and a few other places. We finished the afternoon with a Cook-Out milkshake and a movie. A good day! 

Friday morning we got up early to head to Asheville to the Biltmore! The following pictures are from there. I know it is picture overload but I wanted to document our fun!

We stayed in Gatlinburg on Friday night which was slightly disappointing. Downtown Gatlinburg was very trashy and we ended up grabbing a quick bite to eat, walking around a bit and then going back to the hotel. We watched the SVU marathon so it wasn't altogether terrible. Once we got up and going on Saturday morning, we headed into Sevierville and shopped some. Mom bought us the Fiestaware S&P shakers so I was excited about that. Then we met The Moody's for lunch. There just happened to be a GiGi's Cupcakes next door to the restaurant and I've been waiting to try them so we indulged a bit. Mom was SO glad to see the Moody's and meet baby Lela. She loves them! 

Saturday evening was spent recovering from the busy two days. Sunday brought church and lunch with Matt's grandmother and other family that was in town. We also went to visit Matt's grandfather who was in the hospital. 

Monday was our last full day together and we just laid low. Movies, reruns of Walker, Texas Ranger, and LOTS OF FOOD! It was a blast. 

On Tuesday morning, I dropped Mom at the airport and was shocked because when I got back in the car, I started crying. I have no idea what came over me. It does feel like Mom and I are moving so well into our new roles as mother and daughter now that I'm married etc and she really is just one of my best friends. Guess that's what brought on the tears! 

I can't wait for her to visit again. However, our next time to see each other will be in December when we go down to celebrate the holidays early. WOO!

Today, I'm praying that Mr. Isaac redirects and doesn't bother my sweet family like Katrina did 7 years ago, almost to the day! I don't like sharing my birthday with Hurricanes. MOVE OVER ISAAC :)

Til then-

Did YOU Hear about the Morgans?

P.S. I'm sellin Scentsy now so if you are interested, let me know! 

Open Letters

Dear Mom,

WOW, how did your trip fly by so fast?

Love, your daughter who unexpectedly cried at the airport when you left

Dear Gigi's Cupcakes,

You are delicious. Expensive, but delicious.

Sincerely, Cupcake Lover

Dear Gatlinburg,

You are trashy. What happened to you?

Sincerely, Shocked Tourist

Dear Husband,

The artisan bread you make is so awesome.

Love, your bread-loving wife!

Dear Birthday,

You are coming next week!

Sincerely, Birthday LOVER

Dear Friday,

You  seemed to come slowly this week. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I was on vacation for 6 days. :)

Sincerely, Fan of Friday

Til then-

Did YOU Hear about the Morgans? 

Open Letters

Dear Olympics,

I like you but I'm glad you are over. Man, people did not stop talking about you.

Sincerely, Olympic liker, not lover

Dear Dementia, 

I hate you. I don't enjoy watching you destroy the livelihood of some of the most amazing people. I know that God uses everything for GOOD yet you are a hard one to deal with. 

Sincerely, Speech Language Pathologist who works with residents with dementia. 

P.S. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my sweet residents. Just hate that they have to go through it. 

Dear Motorcycle Driver, 

I know you think you are so cool when you drive 90 MPH and weave in and out of people. If you want to put yourself in danger, that's cool. Please leave me out of it.

Sincerely, Buick Driver :)

Dear Professor Layton games, 

You are so fun! The hubs and I LOVE solving all of your puzzles. It's our total geek moment together. (The rest of them he has by himself ;-))

Sincerely, Puzzle Solvers

Dear Summer Vegetables, 

I'm going to miss having you around. A LOT! Guess, it's time for fall veggies now. 

Sincerely, Veggie lover

Dear newly purchased crib, 

The hubs and I are thrilled about you. No, we don't have a baby on the way but one day we hope to and since you were $100 and in excellent condition, we couldn't pass you up. 

Sincerely,  Parents in the not so near future

Dear God, 

You are always good but sometimes you bless us more than we could have imagined. Thanks for those special moments. We love them.

Sincerely, Your children

Dear Biltmore, 

We are coming to visit you today. EEEKKK!! :)

Sincerely, Crazy Tourists

Til then-
Did YOU Hear about the Morgans?

P.S. I'm linking up with "Friday's Letters" @ adventuresofnewlyweds.com But here post wasn't up when I finished blogging so I don't have her button. :)

"Mom-cation 2012"

My sweet Mom is coming to visit this week. She flies in on Wednesday and leaves the following Tuesday. Matt and I are excited because we have been planning the trip for about 4 months. We have titled her visit "Mom-cation 2012". I don't know why...It just sounds fun. We have a lot planned because this is her first visit to Spartanburg, SC. Here is a quick rundown of our plans. I'll recap once it's over.

Wednesday...Pick Mom up at the Airport in the afternoon. Take her to Trader Joes and to dinner. Make Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thursday...Work on crafts, eat at Wades and make yummy Red Beans and Rice and "The Bread". Do fun girly stuff since Matt has to work!

Friday...VISIT THE BILTMORE :)))))) Matt and I have been wanting to visit but since Mom was coming and she has never been we decided to all go together. After the Biltmore, we will drive to Gatlinburg for the night.

Saturday...Enjoy Gatlinburg and see the Moody Family. (Mom may be more excited about seeing them than she is us...haha just kidding). Head back to Spartanburg.

Sunday...Church and chill time. Possibly some more crafts.

Monday...Making a few yummy meals :)

Tuesday...Mom flies home.

We are THRILLED to have Mom here. We have been planning for so long and we have her room ready to go. Can't wait for her to get here!

Til then-
Did YOU Hear about the Morgans?

Shabby Apple Affiliate

Last week, the company Shabby Apple e-mailed me about joining their affiliate program. I thought I'd give it a try since I really don't have anything to lose! They seem to be an awesome company that really helps to support women who are making their way in the world.

Here is what they had to say about themselves:

"We're an online dress boutique selling women's dresses, casual dresses, skirts and women's apparel. We recognize that finding the perfect dress can sometimes be challenging, which is why (we) strive to design highly fashionable dresses for all types of woment. So, please feel free to have a look around...Because serving women and families is a core value at Shabby Apple, we devote a certain percentage of our net proceeds to charitable causes serving women and children"


They have some INCREDIBLE items. I am not as huge of a fan of their clothes as I am of their accessories and others goods. :)

Here are a few of my favorite items:

                                  Bezeled Pendant Necklace                      Zirconia Earrings

                                        Key to My Heart                       Manager Director Dress

                                           Fridge Art                                      Bicycle Print

If you see items that you like on the Shabby Apple site, you can click the below link to their store and when you do it will credit me for purchases you make. As an affiliate, I'll receive 5% of each of your purchases!

Shabby Apple

Til then-

Did YOU Hear about the Morgans? 

Open Letters

 

 Dear iPhone auto-correct,

When I type "Precious" I don't mean "previous".

Thanks for trying , I guess!

Dear Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

You are incredible BUT I ate way too many....

Sincerely, Cookie Monster. 

Dear Rain, 

I'm glad you are here but wow, you are making me sleepy!

Sincerely, Tired Rain lover

Dear Granddad, 

So glad you are home from the hospital and feeling great. Love you!

Your Granddaughter in Love 

Dear Husband, 

You are incredible. You are getting up early today to go cut your grandparents grass. You are a blessing. 

Love, the one who loves you!

Dear Summer Temperatures,

I'm completely over you!

Love,  Cold weather loving girl

Dear 101 in 1001 list, 

In the next few weeks we will cross off a couple more of our goals. That will bring us close to 40/101. You are going down!

The 101 in 1001 list completers 

Dear Blog Readers, 

I need some new and fun recipes to cook/bake. Tell me your favorites.

Sincerely, Girl who LOVES to cook!

Til then-
Did YOU Hear about the Morgans? 

Praying...

Ever have those experiences in your life where you want to tell a friend you are praying for them but you know that 1,000,000 other people are saying the same thing. Something like this....

"I'm praying for you"

"Praying"

"Covering you in Prayer"

"Believing God for your family"

"Know and Believe God is taking care of your situation"


All of those phrases are to let someone in need know that you are praying for them. All well meaning and all truthful. All amazing and all helpful. However, sometimes it seems that in those times, you are just joining in with the crowd. Like it isn't a big deal that you are praying since the 1,000,000 others are already praying.

How stupid is that? God is HUGE and he doesn't just want 1,000,000 praying for one family, he wants the 1,000,001 people praying for them. Even if many people are praying for a situation, God still listens to the one. He doesn't need fancy words, he just needs something simple and genuine.

God,

Thank you for your provision and your love. Thank you for your grace and goodness. Thank you for being in control of ALL situations. Thank you that even when we have NO idea what's going on, that you do. Thank you that when we don't know what to pray or how to pray, you hear our hearts. Take care of the Moody's this week. Continue to show yourself faithful to them. We love you!

Amen

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

This weekend, I made cookies for lunch with Matt's grandparents and his mom. Matt requested Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies which I had never made before.  I used the recipe below and they were amazing. I may want to make them every weekend!!! I found them on C+C Marriage Factory Blog. 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

2 3/4 cups oatmeal

2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat oven to 350.

Using a mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Add baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix to combine. Add flour, oatmeal, and chocolate chips, and mix until just incorporated.

Take a spoonful of batter and roll into an inch thick ball (or smaller, if you prefer smaller cookies), place on  prepared baking sheet. Repeat until baking sheet is full, being sure to leave a couple inches between each ball of cookie dough.  Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookies should be golden and crisp on the edges but slightly gooey in the center. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Repeat with additional baking sheets (I think I did 3.5 batches total).




Seriously, make these and eat them!


Til then-
Did YOU Hear about the Morgans? 

Monday Fun

When we were in TN last weekend visiting some of Matt's family, I took these pictures of Luke, Kieran and myself with photobooth. Just thought I'd share a few bunch. 

Til then-
Did YOU hear about the Morgans?